Thill-coupling



(No Model.)

B. M. PAINTER.

u THILL COUPLING. No. 284,053. Patented Aug. 28,1883

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WM, 7 v 7 5 [C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT M. PAINTER, OF WEST MANSFIELD, OHIO.

TH|LL=-COU PL|NG.

SPEGI'FTCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 284,053, dated August28 1883.

Application filed November 13, 1882. (No model.)

10 or tongues to the vehicle in such manner as to prevent rattling, andso that the shafts or tongue can be taken off without the use of wrench,screw-driver, or other implement, doing away with bolts and nutsentirely, and making it an easy task for any one to take off or put onshafts or tongue, or to change them in short order. The burrs that areusually on the bolts holding the shafts on are generally rusty, greasy,battered, and, besides soiling ones hands greatly, give much trouble,require one to have a wrench handy, and oftentimes the bolt turns withthe burr, making it next to impossible to get the burr off at all.

lVith my attachment no wrench is necessary, no handling of dirty, greasybolts, and the uncoupling is done at once, simply by raising up theshafts till they pass the perpendicular and lifting them from thecoupling. My attachment is fastened to the axle in same manner as nowcustomary; but fastened to the lower end of the clip is a bent springcurving downward, and thence up against an eccentric on the rounded endof the shaft, yielding to the movements of the shaft, but alwayspressing against the end of it, keeping the shafts from rattling whentraveling, but holding them up when raised.

Instead of the bolt usually used to. hold the shafts on I have apermanent pivot (part of my coupler) attached, so as to prevent rat.-tling.

It will be seen that the corresponding parts of my coupler, D and H, arein true are, and 5 concentric, having pivot F for a common center,forming aperfect-fitting joint at all times, and are so arranged that inbacking the strain comes upon these parts D H, instead of on the pivot.

Figure 1 is a side view of my coupler, with the shafts at rest after.using, and in position to be lifted from their holders; and also showsthe spring acting as abrake to keep the shafts up in position out of theway. Fig. 2 is a side View, with shafts in position for hitching 5 5 thehorse to. Fig. 3 is a side view of shaftholder; Fig. 4, aside view ofend of the shaft that fits in theholder; Fig. 5, atop view of the partsdetached.

A is an end sectional view of axle; 0, clip holding shaft-supp ort tothe axle B, shaft-sup port, having square shoulder O, which abutsagainst the axle to sustain the strain in backing; D, curved end (in anarc) of B; G, slot in B for withdrawal or entrance of pivot F into thesocketE; I, an eccentric on the rounded end of shaft L, which bearsagainst spring K and prevents rattling; H, curved shoulder on shaft L,an exact arc fitting perfectly around the circular end D of shaft-holderB, which is thus held closely between the pivot F and are H in everyposition it can assume, except that shown in Fig. 1.- The shafts cannotbe removed except in this position, but when so raised can be easilylifted out.

I sometimes make the rounded end D single instead of double, and the endof the shaft forked instead of single, and use a double spring; but theprinciple is the same as above.

What I claim is The combination, with the shaft-holder 13, havingcircular end D, channel Gt, socket E, and spring K, of the shaft havingcircular chamber H, and pivot F, concentric with socket E and end D, andthe eccentric end I, as and 8 5 for the purpose specified.

ROBERT M. PAINTER.

Witnesses:

E. K. CAMPBELL,

M. KERNAN.

